Letters to the editor 4/8

Hospital reviews funding for project

In response to John VanWormer's letter ("Officials, deny PILOT for medical building," April 5), Health Quest would like to clarify his concerns. We believe the information presented was not complete. Since Mr. VanWormer's involvement with the project and departure from the Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation Board over a month ago, the plan for this vital benefit to our communities has evolved further.

Currently, Northern Dutchess Hospital is reviewing different financial models to fund the new building project. This will enable Northern Dutchess Hospital to own the building outright. The change in funding may obviate the need for the payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT.

In response to Mr. Van Wormer's view about for-profit practices occupying space at the hospital, the Town of Rhinebeck Assessor's Office recently worked with the hospital to ensure we are in compliance with tax-exempt bond financing. All projects we have done have received appropriate approvals from all required agencies.

Thank you for the opportunity to clarify. Our efforts lie in building an addition to the Northern Dutchess Hospital campus that will benefit our communities with access to the highest caliber of physicians and services for years to come.

Denise George

interim co-CEO, Health Quest

LaGrangeville

Time to curb fire spending

The Arlington fire commissioners should put out the burning of the supposed taxpayers' money trees. They are not going to regrow.

They went ahead and spent $14,167 to replace the light bars on the six older SUVs at a cost of $2,361.16 each rather than try to find a better fix, and then used an outside installer. Where are our mechanics? When will these SUVs be replaced, after they have nice new lights?

Also, the employees are allowed to accumulate their sick days at a rate of 144 hours per year or 3.5 weeks per year for a total of 2,880 hours over 20 years, to be paid as used or, if I am not mistaken, when they put in for retirement. When they reach retirement age and submit papers, they will receive half of their accumulated sick days at the end of the year the papers were submitted and receive the rest when they actually retire - and at their current rate of pay. If they do not retire after 20 years and have not used there accumulated 2,880 hours of sick time and become sick they will be paid extra for 12 hours each day out sick. This leaves the budget with a $1.8 (million) to $2 million unfunded cost for this expense.

Board meetings are held on the first and third Monday of every month at the 11 Burnett Blvd. firehouse at 7:30 p.m. Try to attend.

Joe Armstrong

Poughkeepsie

Mothers must act on gun control

Wednesday, April 3 marked four years since 13 people were murdered by a former classmate at the American Civic Association in Binghamton. Very soon we will mark four months since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary. Later this month, the anniversaries of the tragedies at Virginia Tech and Columbine will remind our nation once again of the scores of parents mourning lives cut too short.

The facts are clear: Stronger gun laws are directly correlated to lower rates of gun deaths. Ninety percent of the American people believe background checks should be required for all gun sales. Law enforcement officers around the country - including those in Binghamton - say magazine capacity limits can prevent the kind of carnage that we saw in 16 mass shootings in 2012.

We can't afford to remain a silent majority - not when eight children each day die from gun-related injuries. If we want our legislators to listen to us, they need to hear from us. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is devoting this week to ensuring Congress understands one thing: The mothers of America will not stand for politicians who kowtow to the gun lobby at the expense of our children's safety.

Join me and other moms this week as we write letters, send emails, make phone calls.

As President Obama said, "If you're a mom who wants to make this country safer ... raise your voices and make yourselves unmistakably heard."

Alexandra Dubroff

chapter co-leader, Hudson Valley Moms Demand Action

Cold Spring

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Letters to the editor 4/8

In response to John VanWormer's letter ('Officials, deny PILOT for medical building,' April 5), Health Quest would like to clarify his concerns. We believe the information presented was not complete.